Shadows All Around You
by Pennibear
Summary: Luck has a way of finding us, even if it comes slowly. Or in some cases, the strangest way possible. But not for Flurryheart. It may seem as if her life may turn out alright after all when she escapes her past... but then again, your past always follows you right? It isn't a happy ending for her, at all. Until she finds the Clan she truly belongs in... (Slight gore?)
1. Prologue

**I've decided that I wanted to create a shortish story on my character, Flurryheart. Her story is just my favorite back story by far, and the saddest one I've created. So anyways, I present to you the prologue. I'm going to try and update this has much as I can.**

**R&R Please!  
Please, don't flame.  
I would appreciate helpful critiques, though. *inserts heart*  
**

* * *

The ground was covered in newly fallen leaves, a crisp and chilly morning breeze hanging in the air. It stirred a swirl of crimson, gold, and brown as the leaves danced along with the wind.

A few birds chirped and sang the songs of Fall, the sun casting beautiful pools of gold onto the forest floor, the morning almost seeming to be the most perfect sunrise yet. Almost.

A chill hung in the air, curling and grasping at any living or breathing creature. But it didn't remain, it appeared to be followed a singular shape that slowly made its way through the dying forest.

Her face was sullen, dark, and cold. Dried blood spotted her beautiful gray fur here and there, her breath coming shorter and shorter with every staggering step she took.

The she-cats voice called out a name, her voice sounding as if she hadn't talked in days, as if it had rusted over and was being forcefully dragged upon stones.

"Ma-y…" it rasped.

A last billowing breath escaped the cat as she fell forward, the leaves around her now still body scattering in every direction.

"May…"


	2. Your a Traitor

**Hello again. This is going to be the last update for today at least. Sorry the chapters are so short, it just seemed the right moment to end it. ;**

**R&R Please!  
Please, don't flame.  
I would appreciate helpful critiques, though. *inserts heart***

* * *

The light was harsh. It pierced through the den roof, casting warm patches of light on her patchy gray fur. She almost accepted the warmth and comfortableness - except she suddenly realized there was possibly no way she got here unless…

She scrambled to her paws, claws stretched out in defense. But she instantly regretted it as pain shot through every inch of her body, making her coil back into the soft nest.

"You'll have to try better than that, if you're going to escape," a soft old voice rasped from across the den.

Flurry turned her to brilliant blue eyes on a ruffled black she-cat. Her pelt was missing a few patches of fur; probably from the Nightly Showdowns.

"You got hurt again, Shade," Flurry said, her voice full of sympathy and sorrow for the elderly healer cat.

The old cat gave her a look, though her expression was the same as always, a cold and calculative look. "Its only a few pawfuls of fur," she snapped, though it was clearly evident in her voice that she appreciated the concern.

"Its no excuse to mistreat the healer of this sorry group of cats…" she said, rising slowly to her paws and casting a look out into the clearing.

"So. What does Zur have planned for me today then?" she asked, her voice strained. "Let me prepare for it."

Shade's old shoulders tensed, her head slowly dipping lower as she uneasily clawed at a leaf. A grumble escaped the she-cat, a silent curse maybe.

"Shade…? What's wrong? What haven't you told me?" she asked, a sinking feeling nestling itself in the pit of her stomach.

"It isn't you who's being punish… its someone else," Shade said, regret edging the elder's tone. She made it seem as if the 'someone else' should be clear as day to the young gray she-cat. And it was.

"Oh heavens no… please, Shade, its not-" she was cut off by a wail sounding from the clearing. Dismay cracked upon Flurry's face.

She whipped around, speeding out of Shade's den in a flash of gray, coming to a halt at the edge of some cats. A few murmurs and chuckles could be heard as another wail errupted from the center of the big group of felines.

_Not May, please not May. Anyone but May,_ she thought, trying to shove her way through the group of cats.

A cold face peered at Flurry, a smile creeping upon it. "Well well well, the little traitor has finally showed its ugly face," the tom snarled, shoving me to the ground with a smirk.

I squirmed and pushed myself back up to my paws, desperate to reach the cries of May. "Please, Swoop, stop!" she pleaded to her former friend, eyes begging.

A distasteful scowl appeared on his scarred tabby face, eyes flat and cold. "Now why would I help _you_?" he snorted.

Flurry looked at him in disbelief, her fur fluffed up and shoulders tensing. "What… are you talking about?" she asked.

"You blamed it all on your sister; that whole little escape. And now she's paying for all of it," he jeered at her, eyes flashing a little excitedly.

"No.. no, I didn't!" she cried desperately, trying to pushed her way through the throng of cats as sneers of _traitor_ and _scaredy-kit_ being thrown at her from every direction possible.

As she emerged from the mass of dark scowling faces, she came face to face with a sickening and familiar May. She was slouched against the ground, fresh blood trickling from a few wounds and her mouth. "May!" she cried, shaking her head.

A shoulder shoved me to the ground, lips peeling back over sharp teeth. "Well, Flurry. See what happens when you act out and try to run away?" the tabby hissed.

"Yes, Eziek, yes. I understand," she whimpered, pressing herself as far to the cold ground as she possibly could.

"And yet you _still_ cower. You don't even try to step up for your own sister, who is taking all the blame," he said coldly, his breath brushing my ear fur.

"No- yes, I take full responsibility, just please stop-" i was cut off as another caterwaul escaped the beautiful slumped calico shape of May, bleeding and broken.

"Stop!" I shreiked, my voice straining in pain. But she didn't care if her throat felt like dry sand, she had to stop this nonsense.

"Too late, fox-breath," Eziek sneered, pressing his paw against my head and holding me in place. I just sat there helplessly, watching my sister be beat into a bloody pulp. _It wasn't her fault,_ I kept repeating in my head, tears slipping down my face.

* * *

It seemed as if the torture and torment on May would never end, but I was now curled in Shade's den, my body wrapped around the broken and bloodied shape of my sister.

"May, I'm so sorry…" I whispered, pressing my head against her as Shade mixed a few herbs to heal her.

"Its alright, Flurry. I don't mind. It was my idea…" she rasped, offering a smile at me.

"No, its not alright!" I cried in dismay. "The plan was if we got caught, I would take the fall. Not you!"

"Well… it happened, Flurry. And its over now. Everything is alright," she whispered, giving me a lick on the head.

It amazed me that she could hold her head up, even after all of this. She reminded me of our mom, now passed away. She was such a kind, and gentle soul, born in the harsh cold family we had been born into.

"You know that I would die for you…" I whispered, biting back a few tears that threatened to turn into a sea.  
"I know… and someday, we will escape. Someday…" she trailed off, and then casted a smile at me. "Someday, we will find a new and better home."


End file.
